Share your story: did you get married in Ireland after the marriage equality referendum?
In 2015 Ireland became the first country to legalise same-sex marriage by popular vote, with a majority of 62 per cent.
At the time, this was a vote that made people proud to be Irish. A decade on, we want to hear from you. Is this sense of pride still there? What has been the experience of those who got married after the vote? Were you among them?
Did the 'yes' vote give you a sense of relief? Do you continue to face challenges despite the results of the vote? Please share your experience with us; it may appear in an edited selection of comments that will be published in The Times and The Sunday Times.
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Sky News
2 hours ago
- Sky News
Ballymena riots latest: Fire started 'after vandalism' at leisure centre as disorder breaks out for third night in row in N Ireland
21:47:04 Leisure centre on fire 'temporarily housed people from Ballymena' Reports in Ireland suggest the leisure centre said to be targeted by vandals tonight - see 20.59 - may have housed people moved from Ballymena, though this has not been verified. DUP politician Gordon Lyons posted on Facebook earlier today "a number of individuals were temporarily moved to Larne Lesiure Centre... following disturbances in Ballymena". "It has now been confirmed to us by the PSNI and Council that all these individuals are in the care of the Housing Executive and have been moved out of Larne," he added. "Protesting is of course a legitimate right but violence is not and I would encourage everyone to remain peaceful." The Irish Independent said it is understood there is nobody currently inside the Leisure Centre. 21:14:01 'Force will be used against violent individuals', police warn crowd In Ballymena, police have gathered to deter any rioters planing disorder for a third night in a row. Our team is there now, where a crowd has been told to move away. A warning played via speakers tells them they should be "dispersed immediately". It then warns "force will be used against violent individuals". 20:59:56 Fire breaks out in town east of Ballymena A fire has reportedly broken out at a leisure centre in another town in the same county as Ballymena. Footage on social media shows masked individuals smashing windows and setting fires outside in Larne. The map below shows where Larne is, about 20 miles east of Ballymena in County Antrim. Local Alliance MLA Danny Donnelly said the leisure centre "has been attacked by masked thugs". "Windows smashed and fires lit nearby," he posted on social media. "Larne does not need this." 20:59:01 In pictures: Police brace for further rioting More pictures now from the scene in Ballymena, where police are preparing for another night of rioting. 20:46:01 Entire rows of houses displaying 'locals live here' signs We've already brought you reports of residents in Ballymena displaying signs in their windows about their nationality - in an attempt to avoid rioters targeting their homes. Now, our team on the ground bring us pictures of entire rows of homes displaying signs. Our correspondent Connor Gillies explains that these signs look organised, as they are all of the same design, printed on yellow paper with black lettering in caps saying "Locals live here". Some homes with the signs in their windows also have the Northern Irish flag or the Union flag, too. 20:30:01 More police arrive with shields and helmets We reported in the post below that the police presence in Ballymena is growing. The picture below, from the last few minutes, gives you an idea of the units now taking formation. Several vans have arrived, blocking off a street as more officers line up equipped with riot gear. 20:16:48 Significant police presence in Ballymena A brief update from Connor Gillies, our reporter on the ground in Northern Ireland. He says he's just arrived in Ballymena for the evening, where there is a significant police presence. We'll bring you more updates as we get them. 20:09:01 'I deplore the thuggery' More political reaction now, with former SDLP leader Baroness Ritchie of Downpatrick reacting to the violence. She said earlier: "I deplore the thuggery and the racist violence in Ballymena over the last two days, where there were attacks on the police service of Northern Ireland and on ethnic minorities." Violence condemned 'unequivocally' DUP peer Lord Weir of Ballyholme added: "Can I join with others in commending the efforts and the bravery of the police and the other emergency services in dealing [with the] situation of the last 48 hours, and also unreservedly and unequivocally condemn the violence that has taken place in Ballymena. "Whatever the underlying issues that are there in Ballymena, nothing can ever justify the thuggery that is being perpetrated there." 19:45:01 Aftermath of 'ugly' night of 'racially motivated' violence - and how it all began Police say the violence this week in Ballymena is "clearly racially motivated". Connor Gillies explains it all began with a vigil for a teenage girl who was the victim of an alleged sexual assault. Two teenage boys, from Romania, have appeared in court connected to that investigation. Officers say the vigil was hijacked by a planned anti-immigration mob. Watch below as Gillies runs through the origins of the riots, and looks at the homes devastated by violence.
BBC News
4 hours ago
- BBC News
Southern Baptists move to end same-sex marriage in the US
Southern Baptists, whose faith includes over 12 million members in the US, have endorsed a ban to end same-sex marriage in moment marks the first time the group has officially opposed the ruling in Obergefell v Hodges, the 2015 landmark Supreme Court case backing same-sex marriage. The votes on Tuesday came during the annual Southern Baptist Convention in Dallas, Texas, attended by over 10,000 church say the evangelical group's values have increasingly shifted to align with the Christian right, a branch of conservatism that has gained momentum under US President Donald Trump. The Southern Baptists' resolution does not use the word "ban" directly. Instead, it calls for the "overturning of laws and court rulings, including Obergefell v. Hodges, that defy God's design for marriage and family". The resolution also calls "for laws that affirm marriage between one man and one woman".Any legal reversal of the Supreme Court's Obergefell decision would not lead automatically to a nationwide ban of same-sex marriage. Thirty-six states already have legalised same-sex marriage at the time of the ruling, and nearly 70% of Americans still support it, polls show. "What we're trying to do is keep the conversation alive," Andrew Walker, an ethicist at a Southern Baptist seminary in Kentucky who wrote the resolution, told the New York the resolution is non-binding, it comes from a large, influential faction of President Trump's base and sends a direct message to the White percent of white evangelical Protestants are likely to be Republican voters, according to a 2024 Pew Research survey. "I think there is a confidence that (Trump) will have their backs," Kristin Du Mez, a Calvin University history professor specializing in religion and politics, told the BBC. "In some ways, it's an uphill battle," she said. "But I do think they sense that there's been this shift, that there may be a window opening, and that they think this is the right time to press this issue." She described a "transactional element" to the relationship between evangelicals and Trump, whose Supreme Court nominations helped end national abortion also played a "very prominent" role overturning Roe v Wade, the landmark Supreme Court ruling that protected abortion for nearly 50 years before it was overturned in 2022, said Ms Du said she believes evangelicals may be using the same blueprint to end same-sex marriage. "I know some of the leaders have pointed to Roe v Wade as a model of the need to play the long game," she said. Trump's message on same-sex marriage has been mixed over the years, telling CNN in 2015 that he supported "traditional marriage" then, in a 60 Minutes interview in 2016, saying he was "fine" with same-sex marriage. In his second term, however, he has launched a campaign against diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) with multiple directives targeting LGBTQ groups. This includes banning transgender people from serving the military, and revoking a Biden-era executive order preventing discrimination "on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation".Fear and anxiety in LGBTQ communities have grown as a result, leading some international organisations to boycott World Pride in Washington DC this although public support largely remains behind same-sex marriage, the Southern Baptists' resolution has added to LGBTQ groups' sense of alarm. "This is a very visible example of how attacks on the LGBTQ+ community as a whole have intensified, even as politicians take aim at transgender people as a tactic to divide us," Laurel Powell, Human Rights Campaign communications director, said in a statement to the BBC."We will never stop fighting to love who we love and be who we are."
BreakingNews.ie
5 hours ago
- BreakingNews.ie
Row breaks out at protest over Government plans to buy CityWest Hotel
A row erupted between TD Paul Gogarty, two councillors and protesters demonstrating outside the Dáil over Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel. The State is to buy the Citywest Hotel to be used as part of the country's immigration system, according to the Business Post. Advertisement Around two dozen protesters gathered outside Leinster House on Wednesday holding signs that read 'Public consultation, not secret conversation' and 'Save Citywest Hotel from being purchased by our Government'. Locals who protested raised concerns about losing a significant amenity in the area. Dublin city councillors Malachy Steenson and Gavin Pepper, who do not represent the electoral area Citywest is located in, were also seen at the protest. As Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty addressed the crowd by megaphone, a row broke out between protesters, Mr Gogarty, Mr Steenson and Mr Pepper. Advertisement Independent TD for Dublin Mid-West Paul Gogarty (left) speaks to protesters with Dublin councillor Malachy Steenson (right) as people demonstrate outside Leinster House (Brian Lawless/PA) Asked whether there was some confusion over how his comments had been taken, Mr Gogarty said 'maybe one or two people jumped the gun there'. 'But I felt it was important to say what I stand for first of all, which is respect towards everyone whether or not they are economic migrants abusing the asylum system, genuine people fleeing persecution or IT professionals coming to this country.' Bernie Cronin, from Clondalkin, said 200 people attended a meeting two weeks ago where concerns were raised about the Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel. Mr Cronin, who is a former member of Fine Gael and a current member of Independent Ireland, said it has been the area's 'greatest amenity' for 40 years. Advertisement People demonstrating outside Leinster House in Dublin over Government plans to buy Citywest Hotel (Brian Lawless/PA) 'If the Government buys it, it will never come back to the people of Saggart and the surrounding districts as the superb and magnificent luxury hotel that it has been for 40 years,' he said. He said locals have 'no concern' about its current use as an IPAS centre for housing asylum seekers. Mr Cronin said there have been concerns by the group that others could 'hijack what we are trying to do'. Asked about 'outside elements' at the protest, Mr Cronin said: 'They don't help us. They don't help us and I know that's a concern.' Advertisement 'It's not a question about race, it's about space,' Saggart resident Susan Murphy said. 'We don't have the space, we have two shops, one chemist, one post office, no Garda station. We cannot accommodate groups and groups of people. 'If the Government buys Citywest Hotel, they have free rein to do whatever they want with all the land there, which isn't fair on the residents here. Another local, Karen Tracey, said the village was already 'overwhelmed' and it was difficult to get a GP appointment or school place. Advertisement 'Within a five-minute walk within the hotel, there's about 8,000 new homes, not all of them have been occupied just yet and when they are occupied you can imagine how overwhelmed we'll be without this.'
